Gaines has emerged as a point of emphasis

His damaged right ankle still swells occasionally and his body aches, but Sundiata Gaines knows quitting time is something reserved for bankers or stock brokers or members of the white-collar world.

Georgia's resolute point guard can't count on relief at this point of the season. There's no real option for his absence. He either channels thoughts of the pain and fatigue to another part of the brain, or his team is in trouble.

"I don't have time to be tired," he said.

Gaines has played every minute in three of Georgia's past five games, yet he sees no end to the Bulldogs' season. There's tonight's game against Auburn at the SEC Tournament, then hopefully another Friday against No. 6 Florida. If they manage to reach the tournament final, the Bulldogs will play Saturday and Sunday.

After that, who knows? A trip to the NCAAs? A trip to the NIT?

All hurt aside, Gaines would be satisfied if Georgia's season never ended. That's a typical sentiment for a player like Gaines, who's having the best season of his career and has shown he's in the upper echelon of the SEC's point guards despite two strained ankle ligaments.

"Our ultimate goal is to be in the NCAAs, but if it doesn't work out, it's good that we make some sort of postseason," Gaines said. "It's a step forward for the program."

Gaines is one of the biggest reasons why Georgia has taken steps forward at all the past two years. After starting 27 of Georgia's 28 games as a freshman, when the Bulldogs went 8-20, Gaines has steadily improved while playing the most important position on the court.

And at present, he's nearly indispensable.

"Mike (Mercer) was a big loss, but if we lost 'Yata,' we'd be in trouble," Georgia coach Dennis Felton said two weeks ago.

Playing up

The distance from the Jamaica, N.Y., home where Gaines grew up and the nearest set of hoops was less than the length of a basketball court. It seemed like he spent more time on the asphalt court of Africa Park than he did indoors, honing his basketball skills against older, more mature kids.

"Since he was 5 years old, I had him playing 9 year olds," his father Ronnie said. "You've got to be tough to play (New York) City basketball. Everybody comes at you."

Gaines eventually learned the New York style of play: To be a harassing defender, a superb ballhandler and to be undeterred when the time came to drive through taller traffic in the lane.

He played a lot of different positions before he came to Georgia, from starting at center when he was in elementary school to playing shooting guard and forward during most of his high school career. But before Gaines' final year at Archbishop Molloy High, Ronnie convinced coach Jack Curran to try him at the point.

"I've had a lot of serious talks with him about that," Ronnie said. "I told him that if he had dreams of one day maybe getting a shot at the next level, whether it be here, Europe or somewhere, for his size he was going to have to develop the point.

"It took a lot of time. He always said, 'You know, I'm not scoring.' What the kids see is the guys who score the most points. ESPN is always talking about the guy with the most points. I told him it's about the whole package."

Gaines accepted his new role as point guard but thought it would be temporary. After all, he thought of himself as a scorer. When he stiff-armed offers from Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Connecticut and chose Georgia, he thought his point-playing days probably were over.

Felton had other ideas.

Gaines started at the point when he debuted as a Bulldog, and he's been there since. It was the most difficult basketball-related change he's ever made, he said.

"It's a big transition," he said. "You have to look to get your teammates involved first more than anything. Then, you make a lot of decisions because the ball's in your hands a lot more. It's pretty much making the right judgments. In the end, it has benefited me."

Comfort counted on

Things didn't start clicking for Gaines until late last year. Finally, the urges to shoot the ball every other trip down the court faded. He found himself looking for clear passing lanes than clear looks at the basket.

"My decision making just got better," he said. "I felt more in control of what we were trying to do."

"Without him out there leading the way ... we definitely wouldn't be where we are right now," Newman said. "He's always had the skill level, he just hadn't been put in that position for very long. Now that he's had a chance to play there for a few years and work with the coaches as they've developed his point guard skills, I'm not surprised that he's developed into the player he is today."

Arkansas point guard Gary Ervin, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native and friend who grew up playing with Gaines, was impressed during Georgia's visit to Fayetteville in January.

"He's a great defender," Ervin said. "That starts as the point guard, when you are the head of the snake. He makes big shots when needed, and lets the game come to him. He's a person that tries to get out and pressure you into making the wrong decisions and speed you up."

Gaines said he has no intention of leaving Georgia early to play professionally, wanting instead to help finish the Bulldogs' rebuilding process of which he's played a major role. He'll find time for rest when the season ends, and he'll be prepared for his final year.

"I wanted to play on a team that really wasn't a powerhouse school and try to bring it to the top," Gaines said. "I knew all along it wasn't going to be easy, but I knew it would be more satisfying."